Richard Ford "Writing Life"

Ford is wise when discussing the writing life, and points out that although you may not get any smarter as you age, the result is a "brain full of stuff life has left with you." By drawing from these experiences, Ford believes you can write a successful piece by finding reality within your writing. An interesting segment of the interview has Levin mentioning the prevalence of car scenes in his work, as the self-deprecating Ford admits that he proposed to his wife in a 1962 Chrysler Windsor. A lesson can be taken from this, as Ford strives to create "plausible places for events to occur." Sometimes, Ford says, a writer can include dialogue that seems contrived, because he considers it okay to "continually put in things that don't make any sense."

In Writer's Craft, I've aimed to improve my writing without taking away some of my strengths, and I find Ford puts this struggle that young writers have quite nicely: "Don't short circuit a part of yourself." This quotation echoes similar remarks from visiting authors Michael Winter and Cathy Gildiner. Earlier this month, I wrote a draft of a tattoo piece that just didn't feel right, so I instinctively changed it and am pleased with the final product. Jonathan Franzen compiled a list of "Rules for Writing," one of which states, "Write in the third person unless a really distinctive first-person voice offers itself irrestisibly." Ford would likely concur with this rule, as he claims he had no difficulty in finding the voice of Frank Bascombe, which is evident given the trilogy he sculpted around this character. Finally, Ford points out the importance in "well-chosen language" to avoid becoming wordy, another common issue I've had with my writing.